BEIJING, China: A humanoid robot has outpaced the human half-marathon world record in a race held in Beijing, highlighting rapid progress in robotics and artificial intelligence.
The robot, developed by Chinese company Honor, completed the 21-kilometre race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds during the Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon on Sunday.
Its time was faster than the current human record set by Jacob Kiplimo, who completed the distance in around 57 minutes earlier this year.
The performance marks a major improvement from last year’s inaugural event, when the winning robot took more than two hours to finish the same distance.
Organisers said around 40 per cent of the participating robots navigated the course autonomously, while others were remotely controlled. Despite the breakthrough, some technical issues were observed, with a few robots falling or colliding with barriers during the race.
Advancing robotics race
Officials say the event reflects China’s growing focus on advanced technologies, including humanoid robotics, as part of its broader innovation strategy. The sector has become an area of competition with the United States, with increasing investment and development efforts.
Industry analysts note that several Chinese firms are leading global shipments of intelligent robots, underlining the country’s expanding role in the field.
The latest achievement signals how rapidly robotics technology is evolving, with machines now approaching — and in some cases surpassing — human performance in endurance events.
